Side by side
Atlas vs dbmate
Both stand on database migration tools. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan Open source APILinuxMac+3
Atlas covers schema planning, migration validation, and execution, with a free core and proprietary advanced features. Consider database-driver coverage and usage-based charges when assessing Pro.
Visit Atlas Free plan LinuxMacSelf-hosted+1
dbmate provides migration management through a standalone CLI, with broad database and language coverage. Check the documented client-tool requirement for schema dumps and the Spanner dump limitation against your workflow.
Visit dbmateThe facts
| Atlas | dbmate | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Yes | Not published |
| Runs on | API, Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Web, Windows | Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Windows |
| Lowest paid plan | Atlas Schema Monitoring Pro: $39 per database a month | Free or on request |
| Plans published | 6 | 1 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | atlasgo.io | github.com |
| On database migration tools | #1 of 32 | #4 of 32 |
Atlas: what it does well
- Compares current databases with desired schemas.
- Can lint migrations and run safety checks.
- Starter is free to use.
- Integrates with several CI/CD services.
- Supports self-hosted deployment.
What to know first
- Pro requires a license after its 30-day trial.
- Pro has usage-based pipeline and database charges.
- Starter has limited inspection, diffing, and database support.
dbmate: what it does well
- Free and open source under an MIT license
- Plain SQL migrations use timestamp-versioned files
- Supports migration rollback and status checks
- Can maintain schema.sql for source control review
- Offers multiple installation options
What to know first
- Schema dumps rely on database client tools
- Spanner schema dumps are not supported